A completely patent omphalomesenteric duct causing recurrent intestinal obstruction in a Nigerian adult: a case report

Mechanical small bowel obstruction is perhaps the most important pathology of the small bowel encountered in surgical practice. The most common etiologies are postoperative adhesions and external hernias. Congenital anomalies like patent omphalomesenteric duct (OMD) hardly make the list among adult patients. Although patent OMD remnants are a rare cause of small bowel obstruction among adults, they should be considered in the list of differentials, especially in the setting of no previous abdominal surgery or external hernia, and deliberately looked for. A high index of suspicion remains the key in the identification and appropriate management of such a rare disease entity. We present the case of a young Nigerian adult with recurrent intestinal obstruction from a completely patent OMD.